True Impact Spotlight: Blizzard Foundation

How important is volunteerism to you? At Hollstadt, supporting your volunteerism is very important to us. To incorporate volunteerism in our culture, Hollstadt instituted a program called True Impact years ago. Through True Impact, we recognize and reward the volunteer efforts of our employees and partners by providing a volunteer match. For every hour that a Hollstadt employee or approved partner volunteers for an eligible charity, Hollstadt will donate $50. Hollstadt will continue to donate up to eight hours ($400) for each employee per year. The charity we are highlighting this month is the Blizzard Foundation which is near and dear to Janelle Schulenberg’s heart.

The Blizzard Foundation was founded on the belief that access to the game of baseball, as an avenue to learning key life lessons, can contribute to building a generation of character for today and tomorrow. Coming from a multi-generational baseball family, Janelle Schulenberg has a passion for the game. But her ultimate draw to the Blizzard Foundation was its mission: to serve and provide opportunity to youth and young adults via scholarship and education, and to inspire them to be outstanding citizens, students and athletes (regardless of the economics into which they were born).

“Our family has been blessed with so many talented athletes and avid sports fans,” said Schulenberg, “but being contributing members of society is in the fabric of who they are. Both my grandfather and uncle, for example, were inducted into the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame, but they also volunteered as firefighters and in countless other ways, raised large families, and were each named Citizen of the Year, which left a powerful impression on me, and sent a message of distinction to all who knew them.”

She’s been a board member for over a year, and has donated time, talent and treasure in multiple ways since being introduced by a previous client. “The top two leaders of the organization impressed me. I knew after our first meeting that they were people of integrity, honor, and had committed to the kids in a way that was more of a vocation, than a career choice. They were all in.”

While many of the young athletes affiliated with the foundation go on to impressive careers, what she is most proud of is the way in which they approach the world. “Every one of these kids emerge knowing they are valued, understand their personal brand (read: social media impacts), are respectful, and give back in countless ways to their communities. That is what makes me tear up right now – picturing the kids I’ve met through volunteering with this rewarding organization, and seeing the impact it’s had on their self-worth, leadership abilities, and the kind of people they aspire to be in this world.”